Liquid ejection apparatus

Abstract

A liquid ejection apparatus is provided. The liquid ejection apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing, covers and a moving mechanism. The first housing is rotatable relative to the second housing about a rotational shaft between a close position and a separate position. The covers are movable relative to heads provided to the first housing between a protection position of covering the heads and a retraction position. When the first housing is moved from the close position toward the separate position, the moving mechanism moves the covers such that an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when a cover corresponding to the head away from the rotational shaft reaches the protection position is smaller than an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when a cover corresponding to the head close to the rotational shaft reaches the protection position.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
 a first housing; 
 a second housing, wherein the first housing is rotatable relative to the second housing about a rotational shaft to be moved between a close position where the first housing comes close to the second housing and a separate position where the first housing is separated from the second housing than the close position, the first housing accommodates a plurality of heads arranged in a direction orthogonal to the rotational shaft, and each of the heads includes an ejection surface having a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting liquid to a recording medium; 
 a plurality of covers provided for the plurality of heads, respectively, and including a far-side cover corresponding to one of the heads away from the rotational shaft and a near-side cover corresponding to one of the heads close to the rotational shaft, wherein each of the covers are movable relative to the corresponding head between a protection position where the cover covers the ejection surface of the corresponding head and a retraction position where the cover does not cover the ejection surface of the corresponding head; and 
 a moving mechanism configured to move each of the covers according to the rotation of the first housing so as to take the retraction position when the first housing is located at the close position and take the protection position when the first housing is located at the separate position, 
 wherein when the first housing is moved from the close position toward the separate position, the moving mechanism is configured to move the covers such that an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when the far-side cover reaches the protection position is smaller than an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when the near-side cover reaches the protection position, 
 wherein the head corresponding to the far-side cover includes a first side close to the rotational shaft and a second side away from the rotational shaft, and 
 wherein the retraction position of the far-side cover is located at the second side of the head corresponding to the far-side cover. 
 
     
     
       2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the moving mechanism includes:
 a plurality of guide parts provided to the second housing for the plurality of heads, respectively; 
 a plurality of intermediate members engaged with the covers and configured to contact the guide parts, respectively; and 
 an urging part configured to urge each of the covers from the retraction position toward the protection position, 
 
 wherein when the first housing is located at the close position, each of the intermediate members is brought into contact with the corresponding guide part to cause the covers to be located at the retraction position, and when the first housing is located at the separate position, each of the intermediate members is separated from the corresponding guide part to cause the covers to be located at the protection position, and 
 wherein when the first housing is moved from the close position toward the separate position, the moving mechanism is configured to move each of the covers such that an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when one of the intermediate members, which is engaged with the far-side cover, is separated from the corresponding guide part is smaller than an angle formed between the first housing and the second housing when one of the intermediate members, which is engaged with the near-side cover, is separated from the corresponding guide part. 
 
     
     
       3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of heads include two heads, 
 wherein each of the two heads includes a first side close to a head other than the corresponding head and a second side away from the head other than the corresponding head, and 
 wherein the retraction position of each of the covers is located at the second side of the corresponding head. 
 
     
     
       4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when the first housing is moved from the close position toward the separate position, the moving mechanism is configured to move the near-side cover by a first moving amount with respect to the angle between the first housing and the second housing in a first stage and configured to move the near-side cover by a second moving amount larger than the first moving amount with respect to the angle between the first housing and the second housing in a second stage after the first stage. 
 
     
     
       5. The liquid ejection apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein when the first housing is moved from the close position toward the separate position, the moving mechanism is configured to move the far-side cover by a third moving amount larger than the first moving amount with respect to the angle between the first housing and the second housing. 
 
     
     
       6. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
 a first housing; 
 a second housing, wherein the first housing is rotatable relative to the second housing about a rotational shaft to be moved between a close position where the first housing comes close to the second housing and a separate position where the first housing is separated from the second housing than the close position, the first housing accommodates a plurality of heads arranged in a direction orthogonal to the rotational shaft, and each of the heads includes an ejection surface having a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting liquid to a recording medium; 
 a plurality of covers provided for the plurality of heads, respectively, and including a far-side cover corresponding to one of the heads away from the rotational shaft and a near-side cover corresponding to one of the heads close to the rotational shaft, wherein each of the covers are movable relative to the corresponding head between a protection position where the cover covers the ejection surface of the corresponding head and a retraction position where the cover does not cover the ejection surface of the corresponding head; and 
 a moving mechanism configured to move each of the covers according to the rotation of the first housing so as to take the retraction position when the first housing is located at the close position and take the protection position when the first housing is located at the separate position, 
 wherein the moving mechanism includes:
 a plurality of guide parts provided to the second housing for the plurality of heads, respectively; and 
 a plurality of intermediate members provided to be rotatable and engaged with the covers, respectively, each intermediate member including:
 a first end portion provided with a shaft about which the intermediate member is rotatable; and 
 a second end portion configured to contact a corresponding guide part, 
 
 
 wherein a distance between the first end portion and the second end portion of the intermediate member corresponding to the far-side cover is longer than that of the intermediate member corresponding to the near-side cover, 
 wherein the head corresponding to the far-side cover includes a first side close to the rotational shaft and a second side away from the rotational shaft, and 
 wherein the retraction position of the far-side cover is located at the second side of the head corresponding to the far-side cover.